Hearthrob of Hell
by Troublesome Dragon
Summary: Natalie finds herself head over heels for the devil. He couldn't possibly feel the same way, right?


_Heartthrob of Hell_

Fifteen minutes to go, not long at all, and yet, the longer she stared at the clock, the more time seemed to slow. Christ, why couldn't the school day just end already? She could almost swear she sensed him nearby, but that was impossible right?

Maybe, Laila was right about her being thirsty for the devil. He was certainly driving her mad with his infrequent visits, like an intoxicating exotic drink she could only afford once a week.

Natalie sucked in a breath and frowned. No, he couldn't be here. She must be imagining this white hot sensation in her belly. Why would he keep coming back? Natalie was only an inexperienced teenage girl, after all. What about her would ever keep the devil interested?

Kristi seemed to think that he was toying with her, just waiting for the opportunity to take her soul and go on his merry way. A few weeks ago, she might have believed her, but now, Natalie had spent enough time with him to know that the devil was not the heartless monster she'd been led to believe.

Natalie checked the clock and sighed, ten minutes to go. She almost wished he'd taken her out of school early today. With exams finished, they were pretty much just sitting around doing busy work until the school year officially ended. Too bad, she'd made such a big deal about him not doing that anymore.

Natalie groaned and let her head dramatically hit the desk. For a devil, he was surprisingly good at respecting her boundaries. That should make her happy, but she wouldn't mind if he tried to tempt her a little more often.

If her inconceivable relationship with the devil had taught her anything, it was that her system of morality was not as rigid or immovable as she'd originally believed. She liked surprising him by saying yes in small ways, participating in some midnight graffiti sprees while agreeing to several more mysterious midnight outings in her excitement.

They'd been along the same vein so far, minor vandalism that she didn't feel would stain her soul for eternity. The arrangement had worked well for both of them until Satan finally realized that she wasn't taking his efforts to corrupt her soul seriously in the slightest.

"Kid, what the Hell did you do to your arm?" Satan hissed, pinching the tender skin. She winced, not expecting that reaction at all.

Didn't the devil like this kind of thing? If anything, she'd assumed he'd be flattered.

"I got a tattoo. You like it? " Natalie said, grinning like a wild cat. She'd always wanted a tattoo, and she would not let the devil ruin this for her.

"No, do you think this is a joke? You have no idea what you've- " he clammed up suddenly.

"Maybe, we can still get rid of it, " Satan muttered.

Natalie dodged his attempt to grab at her skin again, covering her shoulders protectively. She'd sooner jump off a bridge then let that happen.

"Seriously? Just because you don't want us to have matching scribbles, " Natalie mumbled.

It was the wrong thing to say. His horns nearly burst out of his head, burning bright red as flickering flames threatened to engulf them. He held himself back aware they were not quite alone even if the majority of the student body had left by now.

"Let me make one thing clear, these little scribbles on your shoulders just tripled your chances of going to Hell, " Satan said, spitefully flicking an exposed section of her tattoo.

Natalie yelped, instinctively stepping back as she waited for the painful stinging sensation to cease. Geez, he'd never seen him so openly concerned for her well being. What could the devil possibly be afraid of?

"Yeah no, I'm not going to Hell. You'd never let that happen. You like me, " Natalie said brightly.

Maybe, Satan found her annoying sometimes, but he was a softie deep down.

"I don't - It's more complicated than you think, " Satan said, again growing fidgety. Something was off.

"Just don't send me to Hell, dude, " Natalie said, not seeing what the big deal was.

"I can't promise that, " Satan said through gritted teeth.

"Are you seriously that mad about the tats? " Natalie asked, blinking in confusion. He wanted to keep her safe, right? So, why would he send her to Hell?

"Forget it, do me a favor and drop dead, " Satan said, storming off in a huff.

"Maybe, I will. Then, you'll be sorry, " Natalie shouted back, annoyed that he was avoiding her. What was up with him today?

"Fat chance, I bet you'll end up choking on a hot dog. That'll give me a good laugh before they put you in the ground, " Satan said, already halfway through the parking lot.

"Wait, you'd go to my funeral? That's so sweet, " Natalie said, eyes shining in appreciation.

Satan realized his mistake and cursed under his breath. Natalie ran over and hugged him.

"No, stop, we were fighting," Satan grumbled.

"Shh, Stan, it's okay. I know you're afraid to open yourself up because last time you expressed an opinion they kicked you out of Heaven. You can trust me. I won't let you down, " Natalie said, holding him tight. He'd been through quite a lot.

"That's not what happened, " Satan said with a heavy sigh.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure it was a totally mutual parting ," Natalie said, patting his back in an attempt to console him. That ended up being one step too far.

"Look kid, I'm not acting. I totally plan on leaving the earth in ashes. And if I have to ruin you in the process so be it, " Satan said, lifting her up and gently putting her down a fair distance away from him.

"It's cute you still think that, but no, that's not happening. You're a total marshmallow. You'd never go through with it, " Natalie said, daring to go for a second hug.

"What?" Satan said, narrowing his eyes as he picked her up, keeping her at arms length, completely giving up on putting her down lest she hug him again.

"I don't care about the prophecy or whatever. You're my friend, not some heartless monster. I believe you'll do the right thing in the end, " Natalie said, smiling warmly at him, hoping he'd get it through his thick skull that she really did care about him.

Satan dropped her like a rock and walked away.

"You know what, I don't care if you single-handedly end up deciding the apocalypse. We're done," Satan said, blatantly jaywalking into oncoming traffic like the uncaring devil everyone else thought he was.

Unsurprisingly, he caused several minor accidents in the process. She sighed. He was clearly trying to prove a point.

" 'Kay, see you next week, " Natalie said feebly.

Yeah, Satan did not show up the following week, and yet, here she was, still waiting for him the week after that like nothing happened. Natalie couldn't help herself. She checked the clock again, five minutes to go.

Why was time moving so slow? Natalie squirmed in her seat unsure why she was so excited. Lucifer was a witty charismatic immortal being with smoldering golden eyes that could melt any heart that they set their sights on. Someone like that must have better things to do than hang out with a teenage girl once a week. It'd been fun while it lasted, but she should move on and focus on the summer ahead.

The bell finally rang and she thanked God, Jesus, and Heaven above for letting the day end. She ran out the door, making a beeline for the buses before they left her behind when someone roughly pulled on the collar of her shirt, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hey, jerk, I'm trying to go home, pick on someone your own size," Natalie yelled, shoving whatever idiot had the gall to get in her way. The person didn't budge. In fact, no teenager she knew had such well sculpted abs.

"I tried that once, didn't go well," Satan said, eyes glowing in amusement, killing any ill will she had left in her.

Natalie finally got her brain to work and removed her hands from his person, shrinking away from him.

"Sorry Satan, I mean, Stan, I didn't think you'd show up today," Natalie stuttered, at a loss for what to say.

Why would he show up now? She wasn't looking to become the queen of Hell or anything. That had to be obvious by now.

"Why not? I show up every week," Stan said with a shrug.

Natalie sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He was really going to make her say it.

"We didn't exactly leave on the best of terms last time we saw each other. I thought you were gone for good," Natalie said, studying him carefully. His displeasure briefly flashed across his face before he masked it with a toothy grin .

"Nah, you're not getting rid of me that easily," Satan said playfully.

"So, you don't care that I got the tattoos?" Natalie said, raising an eyebrow. He sure changed his mind real quick.

Satan rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his grimace this time.

"Look kid, I'm over it. I knew what I was getting into when we started hanging out. We'll deal with the consequences later, " Satan said dismissively, oddly prickly for someone who was "over it".

That really should have been the end of it, but she didn't like his tone. He was acting like he was doing her a favor by sticking around. Why couldn't he just admit he missed her too?

"You're not exactly a prize yourself," Natalie said, like a god damn liar.

"Excuse me, like your not thrilled every time I bring a little excitement to your boring suburban life," Satan growled, bearing his teeth.

Hah, jokes on him, she could entertain herself with a piece a string. She wasn't that hard to excite.

"Look guy, I don't need you. You're the one who sought me out, " Natalie said softly, hoping beyond hope that he'd tell her the real reason he was here.

He bristled, taking offense for even implying she meant anything at all to him.

"Then, I guess we're done, kid. See you never, " Satan said, brushing past her, nearly knocking her off her feet in the process.

"Fine," Natalie shouted from the empty parking lot, feeling pathetic.

Once he was gone, she let herself fall to her knees, a really bad idea in the hot pavement. Natalie cursed, brushing off bits of rock from her skin. Lip trembling, she finally let herself sob uncontrollably.

Natalie, you stupid fool. You fell in love with the devil.

Satan didn't show himself again after their little spat, but what did it matter? He'd never love her back.

The devil didn't even like humans anyway. The only reason he was even with her was because he thought he was getting end of days brownie points by spending time with her or something. Better forget him, it's not like he'd give her a second thought now that she wasn't useful to him anymore.

And yet, one night, she found herself tossing and turning, feeling a multitude of whispers all across her skin. Something was wrong. She needed to find Satan, fast. She shot out of bed, haphazardly packing an overnight bag when the phone rang. Divine intervention. She took a deep breath and dropped what she was doing.

"Hi Laila, what's up?" Natalie said, pretending everything was fine and she hadn't been seconds away from running away from home.

"I heard the news. I'm sorry things didn't work out with Stan." Laila said in a tone that let her know she'd be hitting on him soon enough. Natalie rolled her eyes and decided to play along. Maybe, blowing off some steam would help her get over her stupid crush on the devil.

Or at least, shut up the voices in her head for a while.

"Thanks, Laila but it's not like I didn't see it coming. I'm honestly surprised he stuck around as long as he did, " Natalie said, unable to stop herself from pouting.

Why did Satan have to be so difficult? She'd seen the good in him but . . . there wasn't anything she could do if he didn't want to change. She wasn't a freaking burden that he was obligated to take care of. They'd become friends by mutual agreement, and well, not all friendships were built to last.

"That's too bad. You two looked good together. I wouldn't mind a shot at him myself, " Laila said, trailing off, clearly asking for permission.

" You're more than welcome to try, but I'm warning you he's not as charming as he looks, " Natalie said dryly. In fact, Satan seemed to go out of his way to make himself as unpleasant as possible.

Natalie was just the silly weirdo that fell for him anyway.

"I don't mind. I'm not looking for a cookie cutter nice guy. I want someone interesting ," Laila said, her smooth melodic voice welcoming the challenge.

"Yeah, but he's his own worst enemy. It's exhausting," Natalie argued.

Or was that the whispers talking?

"Everyone has their demons," Laila shot back.

"I guess," Natalie relented, feeling subdued as millions of voices threatened to overtake her.

Why was she even arguing? He wasn't coming back.

Stupid teenage brain. So what if they have way more in common than you two ever did?

Satan didn't care about anyone but himself.

You're worrying for nothing. Go to sleep.

"Anyway, if that's all you wanted to say, I should turn in," Natalie said, pretending to yawn.

She didn't want to gossip about Satan anymore. Natalie had more pressing concerns to deal with.

"Actually, McAllister, I'm throwing a party at the graveyard tonight. You should come. It's to die for, " Laila said.

Hmm. . . This was the exact kind of party Satan would have taken her to if he hadn't dumped her like yesterday's trash. Why not? She didn't need Satan around to live it up. Natalie had plenty of other questionable friends to drag her into potentially dangerous situations.

"Sure, sounds like fun and I could use the distraction, " Natalie said.

 _Such pretty hair-_

 _ **Mama isn't going to save you. No one will.**_

 **Go to the party. Cornering her in the graveyard will make it easier to kill the bitch.**

Natalie let her head hit the wall. What the hell was happening?

Shut the fuck up.

"Great, McAllister, see you at midnight," Laila said, bringing Natalie back to reality.

"Uh huh, see ya, " Natalie said, rubbing her temple. She had such a splitting migraine.

With any luck, she'd finally be able to put Satan and his creepy entourage out of her head and actually have a good time.

Natalie easily snuck out of the house without her father being the wiser, having become an expert in midnight rendezvous under Satan's tutelage. She'd picked a flattering outfit that wouldn't be too difficult to climb in and packed a purse filled with the essentials: a wad of cash, a fake I.D, a flashlight, and an emergency credit card if the night really got shot to Hell. She requested a lift on her phone and payed in cash, making it to the party right at the stroke of midnight.

Natalie hadn't expected much when she agreed to show up, but Laila had outdone herself considering her shoe string budget. The makeshift glow stick lanterns were awe inspiring, filling the cold cemetery with other worldly colors. Dark and sprawling décor was carefully arranged to complement the spooky atmosphere and a small portable music player and wireless speakers brought the party to life without drawing the attention of unwanted visitors.

Best of all, the voices in her head had fallen silent.

Natalie caught sight of Laila and waved. She smiled, putting her finger to her lips as her eyes traveled back over to her date. He was on the short side and seemed cursed with permanent bed hair. Something about him rang familiar but it was impossible to tell while his back was turned. So, Natalie moved on, deciding to let loose and dance the night away.

The evening was going well so far. She was half way to drunk town and swaying to the spellbinding music when "Stan" appeared out of nowhere. She dropped her drink, and the plastic red cup bounced several times before rolling by Satan's foot. He crushed it under his feet. She gulped, feeling nervous without really knowing why. This wasn't any different than anything else they'd done in the past few months. She'd just gone solo.

"What are you doing here?" Natalie asked, sounding far more accusing than she would have liked.

They had been friends once. She shouldn't be so surprised that they'd crossed paths again in such a small town. Come on, Natalie. Give him a chance to explain himself.

"I show up every week," Satan said evenly.

Oh, he'd definitely come to see her. She rolled her eyes, getting tired of the same excuse.

Yeah but, you keep saying that you won't. Why is that, Stan?

"I didn't think you were ever coming back," Natalie said.

"I wasn't, but then, you went to a graveyard in the middle of the night without telling anyone," Satan said, sounding less devilish and more well, like freaking Michael. Wait.

"Hold on, you've been spying on me? That's not cool, dude, " Natalie said, scrunching up her face and crossing her arms in protest.

Sure, Satan wasn't a complete stranger, but it was still freaking weird he'd shown up in the graveyard in the middle of the night to meet up with her when she hadn't told him where she was going.

"Sorry kid, I wasn't trying to be creepy or anything. I was just checking up on you," Satan said, actually sounding embarrassed.

Well, Satan seemed sorry. Natalie considered letting him get away with it. She wanted to let him back into her life, especially with the whole voice thing going on, but she was getting fed up with his mood swings. Admit you have feelings, dammit.

"Why do you care? " Natalie asked patiently.

For once, he didn't have a comeback ready and stayed quiet as if it just occurred to him that he had no real reason to care about her, and he clearly hadn't expected her to call him on it.

"I don't, " Satan said automatically. Fine.

"Then, why are you here?" Natalie asked, pushing him into a corner.

Satan stuffed his hands in his pockets, a clear sign she was winning.

"I'd rather not say" Satan said, as if to say please just forgive me already. Nope.

"Whatever Stan, see you never," Natalie said, throwing his words back at him, about to walk away and take refuge in the anonymity of the crowd when he grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Wait, I'm not done," Satan said.

"What?" Natalie snapped, looking back at him with daggers in her eyes.

The devil actually flinched.

"Do you want to hang out next week?" Satan said, sounding like the weak and unsure one for once.

"I don't know Stan. Do you want to hang out next week?" Natalie asked.

He didn't say a word, trapped by his own pride. She granted him a wicked smile.

"That's what I thought," Natalie said, forcefully pushing her way through the crowd until she was impossible to find.

Unsurprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen the next week, but she wasn't worried. Satan was as drawn to her as she was to him, all she had to do was wait, and he'd come back on his own.

Sure enough, the following Friday, he was waiting in her room unannounced. Startled, she threw a school book at him. He caught it effortlessly.

"I missed you too, Kid," Satan said, an easy smile on his face. She was glad she put it there.

"I know, Stan, I know, " Natalie said, daring to sit on the devil's lap. He didn't stop her.

It wasn't quite an apology, but she'd accept it. Natalie leaned back, resting her head against his chest.

"You're lucky. You're cute," Natalie said, patting his cheek.

"Oh, are we finally acknowledging the fact you have the hots for me?" Satan said, making her blush with the might of a thousand suns. God help her, she did have the hots for the devil.

"I don't know, Satan. Are you finally acknowledging you care about a human being?" Natalie shot back.

Neither of them said a word, they were still in a stalemate.

At least, he showed up the following week and the week after that. Friendship acknowledged.


End file.
